Trousers hanger and creaser



March 9j 1948. H. c. NELSON vTRousERs' ANGER AND oREAsER Filed May 24, 1946 Patented Mar. 9, 1948 F F ICE Y I L 2,437,437

-TROUSER'S GRESER Hulda Nelson, Pittsblilgls, Pa,

ApplieationMay- 24, 1946,I Serial No. 672,131

This invention relates to clothes hangers, and morev particularlyl to, a trousers hanger of the type designedto enhance the crease in the trousers placed thereon.

The present-y invention an improvement on a trousers hanger described in Uni-ted StatesLet ters Patent Nfl-,1,678i679, granted-111.15 31, 1928, to me as executrix ofthe estate of said Carl G.

N elson, deceased. Y

In .theaforesadnatent, there is described a trousers: henger. that. provides; not; only a. support for hanging. trousers in acloset or press` but. also a light metal fran ieworlsd f or insertion intaA each les; off a nail: o f.V trousers and en which they trousers may be stretched under tension for maintaining the creases in the legs of the trousers; and with the further provision of adjustability for adapting it to trousers of different sizes.

While being entirely successful for its intended purpose, the device of said patent is entirely unsuited for use by travelers who have a particular need for a device of this kind, the device of said patent being entirely too large and cumbersome to fit into personal luggage.

The present inventionv embodies a novel im provement whereby a garment hanger of this character is arranged to be folded'into a small space, whereby less space is required for its storage and it may be packed into a suit case so that it may be used by travelers, without however impairing its utility in restoring or preserving the crease in the garment. v

My invention may be lmore fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation View of a folding trousers hanger of the invention in an extendedposition and inserted within one leg of the trousers shown in dot-and-dash line;

Fig. 2 is a view of the trousers hanger of Fig. 1 in a folded position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, to a larger scale, of the top cross member of the trousers hanger of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a prole view, to a larger scale, of the hinge and latch device of the hanger;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a cross section view, to a larger scale, of one of the vertically extending side members of the hanger, in the plane as indicated in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, a trousers hanger of my invention is shown to consist of a folding and adjustable metal frame having upper and lower cross members generally designated A and B respectively, these cross members joining together 1; Claim. (Cl. 232.3%6@

2i two side members designated as C andl D. Each of thesi'demembers Cand D consists of two thin blade-like metal sections 4, I4 and 5, I5 respectively, which sectionsk are joined by integrally formed-.knuckle hinges .ll-*and It., with pintles,A as shown. These knuckle hinges are positioned 'alongthe inner edges of the flat metal strips at a common transverse bending line so as to permit these metalr strips to be folded backu'pon each other in. a collapsed or folded position, as shown rin Fig. 2. A

Each of the cross members A and B is adjust- 'able' lengthwise and of a similar construction, except forthe hook- 'l of the top cross member which is provided for suspending the hanger. To secure such lengthwise adjustment of the cross members, an intermediate square metal bar I is telescoped at each end within square hollow end sections 2 and 3, the opposite and bifurcated ends of the end sections 2 and 3 being pivotally connected by rivets 8 to the flat metal strips C and D, as may be noted from Fig. 3, Hook I has a lower threaded shank portion with nut for fixedly securing the right end of bar I inside hollow `end section 3. A flat spring metal strip 6, rigidly secured on end section 2, engages its free hooked end with one of the serrations Ib of bar I through a slot in the top of section 2, the serrations Ib oifering a range of adjustment lengthwise for the cross member so as to provide a locking means for applying transverse tension to the trousers. A telescoping cross connection -enables the side members to be pulled apart to put the fabric of the garment under the desired tension, and which may be easily released.

To. increase the range of adjustment of the hanger with trousers of widely differing sizes, additional holes such as Id may be formed in the right end of bar I, either to the left or right of the present position of hook 'I, thus allowing the fixed relation of end section 3 to bar I also to be varied.

Lower cross member B is similar in construction to upper cross member A except that a nut and bolt I1 are substituted for the hook 1, previously described.

Hence, it may be noted that the invention provides a trousers hanger in the form of an adjustable and light metal frame for use with a1- most any size of trousers or slacks.

In order to hold the hinged side members from folding when the device is to be inserted in a garment, latch means is associated with each of the hinges. In Fig. 4 there is shown a prole view of a typical integrally formed knuckle hinge and its latch or locking device for rigidly holding the hanger in its extended position for use. A pintle connects integral hinge ange members 4 and I4, as shown in Fig. 5, the interlocking portions 4a and |4a being circularly formed into two knuckles for reception of the pintle.

A thin spring metal clip-like latch member I9 is pivotally connected by a rivet at 8 so as to pivot about-this point, and cut-away portions I9a yof this latch allow it to clear or straddle the hinge 9 and snugly engage in a fri-ctional iit the sections 4 and I4 of the at metal strip C, and thus firmly hold this side member in an extended position. It may be noted that these hinges 9 and I and the latch elements therefor are placed on the inner edges of side members C and D, and the outer edges of the side members have a. tongue-like portion, as 4b in Fig. 5, so the creaseforming edge will be thin, continuous and free of any protuberance that will bulge or wrinkle or otherwise deform the sharp line of the kcrease of the garment leg.

In Fig. 6, a cross section View of section I of side member D shows that a rounded outer edge for this flat metal strip is provided for contacting the crease of the trousers for their support under transverse tension.V

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides a folding trousers hanger and garment creasing device of sturdy construction, and which hanger is of wider utility, by reason of said folding construction, than the trousers hanger of the aforesaid patent granted to Carl G. Nelson.

While I have shown only one embodiment of my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications of this embodiment may be contemplated within the scope of the invention, except as limited by the appended claim.

I claim:

A crease-forming and restoring hanger for trousers comprising a pair of side members of thin flat form transversely hinged intermediate their ends, adjustable extensible means connecting the side members above and below the hinges, a locking means for holding the side members in an extended rigid position, said locking means comprising a slideable clamp pivotally secured on each of the side members at one side of its hinge thereof, said pivotal clamp having a central cut-out portion for spanning said hinge and end clamping portions for slidable engagement with the inner edge portions of said side members on both sides of said hinge.

HULDA C. NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS lSondersen et a1. May 17, 1932 

